Sunday, March 2, 2008

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 24 February - 1 March 2008

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week.

My criteria are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy, address current genealogy issues, personal family history, are funny or are poignant.

I don't list posts destined for the Carnival of Genealogy, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

* "Genealogy Research Map" by Mark Tucker on the ThinkGenealogy blog. Mark has a knack for putting words into graphics that help people understand relational things. This is a graphic for the Genealogical Proof Standard. Seems to me that Mark could sell laminated large copies of this to thousands of genealogists for an impressive wall hanging.

* "Here's Where I'm at With Analyzing my mtDNA Results" by Jasia on the Creative Gene blog. Jasia struggles to understand the mtDNA test results she has received, and puts her "Customer Support" hat on and suggests ways the commercial testing companies might help themselves by explaining the results better.

* "No Longer a Blogling" by footnoteMaven on the footnoteMaven blog. fM graces us with the true story of her distinctive picture of the footnoteMaven, and celebrates her first anniversary as a genealogy blogger. Well done, fM!

* "Lajos long forgotten: an immigrant baby's story" and "Update on baby Lajos: his arrival at Ellis Island" by Lisa on the 100 Years in America blog. Lisa tells the story, with images of many documents, of a baby named Lajos that emigrated to America in 1907, and she wondered if he made it to America. Donna Pointkouski helped her out by finding the Passenger Arrival list and he's on it. Share Lisa's joy, and documentation.

* "Best of the Internet for Genealogists - 2 March 2008" by Pat Richley on the DearMYRTLE Blog. Ol' Myrt has been posting these regularly on Saturdays and they are very useful to all of us - and to her, since she highlights these items in her weekly podcast.

* "Two Roads: Do McEntee and MacEntee Converge or Fork? Part I" by Thomas MacEntee on the Destination: Austin Family blog. Thomas faces the name spelling challenge head-on with some interesting thoughts and ambitions to solve it. I wish him luck, and know he'll share his findings so that we can all learn from them.

* "Black History Month Wrap-up" by Miriam Midkiff on the Ancestories: Stories of my Ancestors" blog. Miriam summarizes her thoughts about African-American history and genealogy, with helpful links to blogs and web sites.

* "Dead Ancestors Soap Opera: Part III" and "Part IV - Edith Speaks" by Cat on the Genealogy - Digging up Dirt blog. Cat continues her series summarizing the Widows Civil War Pension File of Edith C. Tyrell, widow of George Oakley. You could not find information like this about this family unless someone had written a book! And maybe not then. An excellent example of the value of these documents just coming online at Footnote.com.

* " 'Table boarders Taken": Mary Ann Hicks of Livingston Street, Brooklyn" by Laura Crawley on The Virtual Dime Museum blog. Laura's great-great-grandmother ran a boarding house in Brooklyn, and Laura discovers information about the building and her GGGM. I love and appreciate how Laura ties family stories into historical events and information, and broadens her readers knowledge.

* "Serendipity and a Random Act of Kindness" by Becky Wiseman on the Kinexxions blog. Becky is the beneficiary of contact from two unrelated people as a result of her blogging efforts. Cool! We wish this would happen to each of us, don't we?

Please go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add the blog to your Favorites, Bloglines, reader, feed or email if you like what you read.

Please make a comment to them also - we all appreciate feedback on what we write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me!

UPDATED 8 p.m. - corrected Becky's entry per her comment. Sorry - I assumed they were cousins - makes the story even better!

3 comments:

Becky Wiseman said...

Thanks for the mention Randy. Just to clarify, the two people mentioned in my post are not "distant cousins" and actually are not related in any way, which is what makes it really neat.

Lisa / Smallest Leaf said...

I'm glad to see that you also enjoyed reading about my discovery of baby Lajos Tóth and my questions about his trip to Ellis Island in 1907.

Family history is full of questions and mysteries calling out to be solved, as you know well Randy.

Thanks for mentioning 100 Years in America on Genea-Musings.

Lisa
Small-leaved Shamrock
A light that shines again
100 Years in America

Lidian said...

Thank you so much for the kind mention - I enjoy reading your blog too!